Business Traveler, December/January 2019

BEST OF ALL Business Traveler readers celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Best in Business Travel Awards B eginning in 1988 and every year since Business Traveler has asked our readers to voice their choice for who does travel better than anybody else in the world The three decades since have been a time of remarkable change in the business of business travel with new technology shifting demographics and consumer preferences as well as a fluid competitive landscape revolutionizing practically every step of the journey Yet no matter what direction these developments are taking us business travelers are always the first to identify the best of the best the industry has to offer Thats because these products and services from the tried and true to the latest innovations are essential to the road warriors success These are the tools that enable the journey ensure success and empower the return on the travelers investment Again this year weve invited you our readers to select the top travel providers across the globe The votes are tallied and now its time to announce the 2018 Best in Business Travel Awards Categories are not pre determined and nominees are not pre selected the magazine staff took no part determining which companies were named the winners in any category So these truly are your choices voted by you and presented to honor excellence in the travel services industry The winners this year include 28 different travel providers in 40 different categories including the best airlines and the best business hotel chains both by regions and worldwide as well as luxury brands The awards also recognize readers choices in such categories as car rental companies airports and loyalty programs plus the top pick for duty free shopping For 2018 the awards have been classified in seven groups Best Airlines by Region Best Air Travel Experience Best Hotel Experience Best Hotel by Region Best Loyalty Programs Best Connections on the Ground and the Best in Global Travel BEST IN GLOBAL TRAVEL The Best in Global Travel are the international superstars of the aviation business These are the airlines and alliances whom readers have voted the best in the world in their respective categories best airlines in different classes of service from economy to first as well as those which deliver the best experience in such facets of air travel as exceptional customer service and fine cuisine Everything that impacts business travel from big issues like service levels route structures convenience and comfort down to the thickness of the duvets and the selections on the dessert cart are part of the equation Readers selected these recipients for delivering best in class service all across the air travel experience BEST AIRLINES BY REGION With a long history of service and cultural identities closely tied to their particular geographic areas these airlines stand out for offering the best value and best service in seven major global regions The award winners in this group represent the Best in Business Travel in North America South America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe the Middle East Africa and Asia The category also includes the top airline in North America for international travel BEST AIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE This group recognizes the airlines that offer the best total air travel experience for business travelers The quality of travel for a frequent flier is measured all along the value chain from their initial contact with the airline to their arrival at the D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 b u s i n e s s t r a v e l e r u s a c o m 4 8